(70 ILCS 2405/8)(from Ch. 42, par. 307)Sec. 8. (a) The sanitary district may acquire by purchase, condemnation, or
otherwise all real and personal property, right of way and privilege,
either within or without its corporate limits that may be required for its
corporate purposes. If real property is acquired by condemnation, the
sanitary district may not sell or lease any
portion of the property
for a
period of 10
years after acquisition by condemnation is completed. If, after such 10-year
period, the sanitary district decides to sell or lease the property, it must
first offer the property for sale or lease to the previous owner of the land
from whom the sanitary district acquired the property. If the sanitary
district and such previous owner do not execute a contract for purchase or
lease of the property within 60 days from the initial offer, the sanitary
district then may offer the property for sale or lease to any other person.
If any district formed under this Act is unable to
agree with any other sanitary district upon the terms whereby it shall be
permitted to use the drains, channels or ditches of such other sanitary
district, the right to such use may be acquired by condemnation in any
circuit court by proceedings as provided in Section 4-17 of the Illinois
Drainage Code. The compensation to be paid for such use may be a gross sum,
or it may be in the form of an annual rental, to be paid in yearly
installments as provided by the judgment of the court wherein
such proceedings may be had. However, when such compensation is fixed at a
gross sum all moneys for the purchase and condemnation of any property
shall be paid before possession is taken or any work done on the premises
damaged by the construction of such channel or outlet, and in case of an
appeal from the circuit court taken by either party whereby the amount of
damages is not finally determined, then possession may be taken, if the
amount of judgment in such court is deposited at some bank or savings
and loan association to be designated by the court, subject to the payment
of such damages on orders signed by the circuit court, whenever the amount
of damages is finally determined. The sanitary district may sell, convey,
vacate and release the real or personal property, right of way and privileges
acquired by it when no longer required for the purposes of the district.(b) A sanitary district may exercise its powers of eminent domain to acquire a public utility only if the Illinois Commerce Commission, following petition by the sanitary district, has granted approval for the sanitary district to proceed in accordance with the Eminent Domain Act. The following procedures must be followed when a sanitary district exercises its power of eminent domain to acquire a public utility.(1) The sanitary district shall petition the

Commission for approval of the acquisition of a public utility by the exercise of eminent domain powers. The petition filed by the sanitary district shall state the following:

(A) the caption of the case;
(B) the date of the filing of the application;
(C) the name and address of the condemnee;
(D) the name and address of the condemnor;
(E) a specific reference to the statute under

which the condemnation action is authorized;

(F) a specific reference to the action, whether

by ordinance, resolution, or otherwise, by which the declaration of taking was authorized, including the date when such action was taken, and the place where the record may be examined;

(G) a description of the purpose of the

condemnation;

(H) a reasonable description of the property to

be condemned;

(I) a statement of how just compensation will be

made;

(J) a statement that, if the condemnee wishes to

challenge the proceeding, the condemnee shall file objections within 45 days after its receipt of the notice.

(2) Within 30 days after the filing of a petition by

the sanitary district of its intent to acquire by eminent domain all real and personal property, rights of way, and privileges of a public utility, the sanitary district shall serve a copy of the petition on the public utility and shall publish a notice of the filing of the petition in a newspaper of general circulation in the area served by the sanitary district. The sanitary district shall file a certificate of publication with the Commission as proof of publication.

(3) Within 45 days after being served with the notice

required by this Section, the condemnee may file objections to the petition with the Commission. All objections shall state specifically the grounds relied upon. All objections shall be raised at one time and in one document. The condemnee shall serve a copy of the objections upon the condemnor within 72 hours after the objections are filed with the Commission.

(4) The Commission shall make a determination

regarding the petition and any objections to the petition and shall make such orders and decrees as justice and law shall require. The Commission may take evidence by deposition or otherwise and shall entertain oral argument on all objections. The Commission shall make its determination within 105 days after its receipt of the objections of the condemnee, unless the Commission, in its discretion, extends the determination period for a further period not exceeding 6 months.

(c) The Illinois Commerce Commission shall approve
the taking of any property by a sanitary district under subsection (b), within or outside its boundaries, if it is in the public interest. The taking shall be considered to be in the public interest if the sanitary district establishes by a preponderance of the evidence:(1) that the sanitary district has been in existence

as the operator of a wastewater system for at least 20 years;

(2) that it will provide wastewater treatment service

within the proposed area subject to condemnation at the same level of wastewater treatment service provided throughout the district;

(3) that it will provide the wastewater collection,

treatment, and disposal at the same or less operational and maintenance volumetric or bulk rate as the public utility whose property is subject to condemnation; and

(4) that it is not financially impractical for the

public utility to serve its remaining customers who are not in the area subject to condemnation.